-Makita Tools - A
Brief History Of One Of The Innovators In Cordless Drill Motor
Technology

Makita tools are
global. Rarely can you be on a job site for very long before you see the
turquoise color of their tools. That’s because for more than 95 years, they have been designing and building advanced technology motors for their
professional power tools and have evolved into one of the leading manufacturers
of a durable, powerful line of tools on the technological edge.

Beginning in 1915 with simple repair and sales of electric motors, they
expanded their business services by exporting electric motors and generators to the Soviet Union by 1935.

Dodging Bullets In
WWII

13 years after moving
the entire business to Sumiyoshi-Cho, Anjo-City in 1945 to evade air raids of Allied bombers, Makita Tools
started making and selling their first power tool and the first of its
kind in all of Japan, the hand held electric planer
in 1958, which is still produced by the company as the KP0810
7.5 amp 3 1/4” Planer and led them to change their business focus
into the manufacturer of electric power tools that they are today.

Debt Free Changes
Everything

Many companies that
we find who make quality tools and have great customer service reach one
impressive and significant milestone and that is becoming a debt free company.
Makita Tools achieved this momentous goal in 1963, just two years before their
50th anniversary. This, and the choice to use an internal sales team as opposed
to a traditional sales network is a large reason for the company’s
success.

One Companies Effect
On The World

Makita 6500D

1969
brought the first of many innovations that changed the whole of the
construction industry (and therefore the world) with the first rechargeable
power tool, the 6500D battery powered drill. While not entirely cordless (it
had a short cord connecting it to the battery pack), it did free it from the
constraints of being attached to the wall for its power.

Makita 6010D

Eight years after establishing the company’s first
presence in the United States in 1970, Makita Tools introduced what is arguably
the most productive innovation in the construction and home improvement
industry and the beginning of the line of Makita cordless tools with their first
nickel cadmium battery powered tool, the 6010D Makita cordless drill in 1978.
You can still
get batteries for these cordless
drills; my dad even still has one in his shop which is a good place for it, in a home shop. While being fine for the
home user, these early model cordless drills lacked the power and run time to
be much use in a professionals hands. But, for $40 (2015) you can keep that old drill running and making all the holes you need without having to buy a whole new set.

The push for global
domination (of the power tool industry)

1983

Makita begins their first overseas tool production in Canada

From
1977 until present day, Makita has pushed a major expansion effort from
Singapore west to Brazil and North into Canada with over 37 countries holding
Makita offices. Power tool production in the United States began in 1985 and has
expanded to a total of seven different countries worldwide. Some of the highest
quality tools, an independent sales force and global expansion have made Makita
a leader in the powered hand tool market and Japans leading manufacturer and
exporter with over 8300 employees worldwide and more than 1.5 billion dollars
in sales with over 350 items focused in four different areas;

Starting Raw But
Polished With Time

The
early days saw the 6500D battery powered drill begin the cordless power tool
market with very heavy metal housings and by today’s measure, inefficient
motors and low capacity batteries. The introduction of NiCad battery technology,
light weight plastics and ever more efficient motors have led to today’s lithium-ion
batteries, high impact plastic and brushless motors with electronic control to
give us Makita cordless tools that...

Have
batteries that withstand heavy use for a full workday

Have
the same power as corded models

Are
light enough to use all day with less fatigue

Have electronic controls that constantly monitor
changing demands, regulating the flow of current to the motor and delivering
optimum energy output to get increased RPM and torque when you need it and up
to 50% longer battery life

2005

Makita Launches Their First Lithium-Ion Battery Powered Tool, The TD130D

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9+ Reasons Why You Want Makita
Tools In Your Toolbox

1- Brushless
Motors

Makita
18V LXT Brushless tools give you...

Longer
run time

More
power

More
speed

Longer
tool life

You
get up to 50% longer run time per charge with Makita Tools' electronically
controlled motors.

Their
control technology continuously watches for the demand while you work and pulls
just the energy needed from the battery and supplies just the amount of current
as you need it. Now here’s where your purchase starts to become more of an
investment, which is what we’re all about here… with no brushes there is no
contact so there is no resistance which means the motor runs cooler and more
efficiently so your tool will last longer, there are no brushes to buy and no
time spent on maintenance.

2- Quality
control

There
are 19 quality checks on just the motor

Makita’s
stringent testing standards include…

Electrical
resistance

Surge
durability

Mechanical
efficiency

Final
run test for three minutes under power to verify proper operation

Made with more bars than the competition and machine
finished with a diamond cutter to eliminate run-out

Crimped and Welded

Commutator bars are crimped and welded, then tested to
ensure efficient power

Shaft Insulation

A thicker layer of heat-cured resin between the shaft
and lamination core

Fan

Custom designed for each motor; high number of blades
for peak efficiency

Slot Liner Material

A barrier to protect against electrical shorts

Interlocking Laminations

Facilitates a stronger, more efficient current flow as
opposed to welding which disrupts the flow of current

Field Core

Highest quality magnetic steel available and stamped
and laminated into a tight and uniform core

Terminal Plate

Securely transfers electrical current and further
protects against electrical shorts

Motor Field Wire

Made of the finest magnetic copper and wound more
times than the standard to provide increased torque and power

One Last and Very Important
Reason To Buy Makita Tools

Have
you ever tried to get a tool serviced? If you don’t fix it yourself, you’re
either trying to deal with the place you purchased it from who likely has no
training on the tools and certainly will not be using the same quality of parts
or having to deal
with shipping to some other company.

Makita
has over 600 service centers throughout the United States to get any Makita
tool back up and running like new, usually within 3 days and they offer: